Rock

The title of Luke Sweeney's first solo release is a play on Elliott Smith's seminal indie-folk album, "Either/Or." There are plenty of other similarities, too: The Bay Area singer-songwriter, left alone after the other members of his band VOWS relocated to Los Angeles, also recorded his album at home, played nearly every instrument and, taping on reel-to-reel, gave the music a distinctly handcrafted feel. Songs such as "Stuck to the Vine" and "Stone E. A. Way," meanwhile, balance delicate finger picking in odd tunings and the hushed sadness of unrequited love with melodies that feel like opiates for the soul, making this far more than a mere tribute piece. Sweeney performs with Wet Dream Dry Magic on Jan. 24 at the Uptown in Oakland.